“You wanted room to breathe,” I said. “I’m giving you all the room in the world.”
I turned to leave.
Ethan lunged forward, grabbing my arm.
“You can’t do this to me!” he hissed. “After everything I’ve done for you!”
I looked down at his hand on my arm, then back up at his face.
“Everything *you’ve* done for *me*?” I laughed softly. “Ethan, you have done nothing but take. My money. My connections. My reputation. My time. And the moment I dared to speak about a future with you, you publicly humiliated me.”
I pulled my arm free.
“You wanted space? You have it. But understand this — every door I opened for you is now closed. Every favor I called in has been recalled. The loan my firm extended to Bennett Capital is being called in full. Effective immediately.”
The room erupted.
People who had been clapping for us weeks earlier now whispered frantically. Some looked at Ethan with pity. Others looked at me with newfound respect.
As I walked toward the exit, Ethan’s voice echoed behind me.
“Claire! Claire, don’t you dare walk out on me!”
I didn’t turn around.
---
**The Aftermath**
The next thirty days were brutal — for him.
Bennett Capital’s major investors pulled out within forty-eight hours of the loan recall. Banks that had once extended him credit on my name now demanded immediate repayment. The wedding vendors sued him personally for cancellation fees. His so-called friends disappeared.
